Agustawestland Chopper Scam: Extradition Significant As Michel A British Citizen

The extradition is all the more significant for the fact that Michel is a British citizen and the UAE dismissed requests that as a British national, he could not be sent to India. A CBI team led by special investigation team joint director Sai Manohar had flown to Dubai last week to complete the formalities of his extradition

NEW DELHI: Christian James Michel, a middleman linked to the UPA-era AgustaWestland chopper scam, landed in Delhi on Tuesday night following his extradition from the UAE.

“We worked with the prosecutors in UAE, the judiciary and the government in that country. We had to complete the entire judicial process,” a top government source said said. But what really worked was the deepened strategic relationship that has grown between the UAE and India, helmed by Modi and the UAE’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

The extradition is all the more significant for the fact that Michel is a British citizen and the UAE dismissed requests that as a British national, he could not be sent to India.

The Court of Cassation in Dubai had on November 19 upheld a lower court order clearing the extraction order. Michel, while rejecting the charges against him, had argued that India had “dilapidated jails” and he would be forced to frame politicians. These arguments were rejected by the UAE court, which asked the ministry of justice there to take a decision on extradition.

A CBI team led by special investigation team joint director Sai Manohar had flown to Dubai last week to complete the formalities of his extradition. CBI issued a statement late on Tuesday saying the extradition operation was coordinated by interim director Nageswara Rao under the guidance of Doval.

The development will allow BJP to put the spotlight on corruption under UPA, as the scandal dates back to the Congress tenure. This is a political bonus in the season of elections, particularly with general elections around the corner.

After he landed in New Delhi on a special flight, Michel was taken for a medical check-up and then to the CBI headquarters. He is likely to be produced before a court in Patiala House on Wednesday afternoon. CBI officials said he would be examined and confronted with documents recovered during raids by Swiss authorities indicating the bribes paid by him to Indian officials and politicians.